The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has levied a $220 million penalty against Meta Platforms Incorporated over alleged discriminatory practices against Nigerian consumers and their data.

The announcement was made recently in a statement signed by Dr. Adamu Abdullahi, Acting Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC. The penalty follows a joint investigation by the FCCPC and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) into Meta’s conduct, privacy policies, and practices between May 2021 and December 2023.

The investigation revealed that Meta, formerly known as Facebook Inc., and its subsidiary WhatsApp LLC, engaged in practices that allegedly violated Nigerian data laws.

In May 2021, the Commission directed Meta and WhatsApp to respond to its investigative report, which detailed these alleged violations.

According to the statement, Meta provided information in response to the investigation and engaged with FCCPC and NDPC investigators and analysts multiple times, including as recently as April 2024.

The investigation concluded that Meta had engaged in abusive and invasive practices against Nigerian consumers over a protracted period.